


An Old Man's Advice

by irisgoddess



Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6383131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisgoddess/pseuds/irisgoddess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six times Jolee cryptically responded to the problems of his shipmates. (AKA These Young Whippersnappers, AKA An Exploration of Some of the Relationships Between Your Companions) (Completely compatible with all genders, names, and choices.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Old Man's Advice

“What was my father like, when he was in the Shadowlands?”

Jolee pondered the question. “Sad,” he began. “Hopeless.”

“That is all?”

“What more do you want? He had lost everything, and he acted like it.”

“It is just… he was so proud. To be driven mad…”

“Yeah, well, people have this annoying habit of changing while you aren’t looking. At least you have the excuse of not being there to look.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just an old man’s ramblings. Ignore me.”

\--

“How do you do it?” The girl with the pigtails, the Republic’s only hope or whatnot, stood in the doorway of the medbay.

“Do what?” Jolee didn’t even bother turning, even though he wasn’t doing anything important.

“Avoid falling without the aid of the Jedi?”

“It’s real simple—I stay away from ledges and tall buildings. Why else would I be on the forest floor in a world of treetops?”

“If you don’t want to tell me, then just say so! I should’ve known this would be a mistake.”

“Watch that temper, young lady.”

“How _dare_ y—no, there is no emotion.” She stood in the doorway a few moments longer, until it became clear the old man wasn’t going to say anything else, then left surrounded by an aura of frustration.

\--

“I do not understand you.”

“You know, I’m starting to think all of you young folks have forgotten how to properly start a conversation.”

Juhani felt shame rise from her toes to her forehead. “I am most sorry. Good morning, how are you?”

“Hrmph. I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse. Now, what don’t you understand about me exactly?”

“When I fell to the dark side, I sought solitude, so that I might be alone with my rage. But you did not fall, at least completely. So what did you want to be alone with?”

“Have I told you the story about Jigger Wraith?”

“No, you have not.”

“Well, there’s this Mandalorian bounty hunter named Jigger Wraith, and he’s very good at what he does. Mind you, this is right after Exar Kun, so there are a lot of disillusioned Mandalorians entering that business.”

“But something made Jigger special?”

“See, bounty hunters may not be the most lawful people, but most of them sign on with guilds that impose some semblance of order. But Jigger refused to do that. No one really knows why.”

“What happened to him?”

“I’m getting to that. Anyways, the guilds all hate that he’s so successful, since their entire business model relies on hunters flocking to them for help getting started, and now all the newbies thought they could do it to. They usually couldn’t, but that’s another story. So, in order to fix business, the guilds put a bounty on Jigger. Problem is, no one has a good description of him under all that Mando armor. You know how it is.”

“I… have seen Mandalorian armor, yes.”

“Well, the only thing anyone really knew about Jigger was that he carried these nasty disruptor pistols—rippers, I think the Mandalorians called them. Thirty-seven Mandalorians unlucky enough to like that kind of gun were killed, half of whom weren’t even bounty hunters.”

“That’s terrible!”

“Yes, but that’s not why I told the story. If only the bounty hunters had paid a little more attention, they could have figured out that those thirty-seven people weren’t Jigger. Do you understand?”

Juhani didn’t, but Quatra used to tell her stories she didn’t immediately understand all the time. “I will think upon this parable. Thank you, Master Jolee.”

“What part of not-a-Jedi can’t you understand? No, don’t answer that, just leave me be.”

\--

“You fought in the war of Exar Kun?,” the Mandalorian asked.

“What of it?”

“So did I.”

“So? Doesn’t matter much to me. Unless you were the Mando that stole my first lightsaber, I want that damn thing back.”

“What did you think of the Mandalorians when you saw them?”

“Simple. ‘Better kill them before they kill me.’”

“Cut the bantha dung. I’m just trying to figure out when the Mandalorians really lost their way.”

“Don’t you remember the war yourself?”

“I was a boy, learning of war for the first time. I wanted to see the Mandalorians as great and honorable.”

“But now you wonder if they were just dogs on Exar Kun’s leash.”

“Yes.”

“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t have an answer. I was to busy psychoanalyzing the dark Jedi to pay attention to the Mandos.”

“Fair enough.”

“Now shoo. If I keep giving things that sound like answers, then you all will make sure I will never have a moment without questions again.”

\--

“What do you know about computers?”

“That’s an odd question.”

The young Twi’lek sighed. “I’m not very good with them beyond getting doors open. Usually I’d ask Zaalbar for help, but he wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet on Manaan.”

“Why aren’t you out there with him, and not bothering senile old fools?”

“I’m not much for quiet.”

“The young seldom are.”

“So, can you help me with the computers or what?”

\--

“He’ll be fine.”

“What?” Carth looked up from the cup of caf he was making, confused. He was _pretty_ sure that he hadn’t actually initiated a conversation with Jolee, and the old man usually didn’t speak unless spoken to.

“Your boy. He’ll be fine.”

Carth silently cursed the fact that K—no, Revan now, had decided to bring someone else into the academy. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

“No, but you’ve been standing in front of the caf machine for two minutes now, and if I don’t resolve your brooding, then how am I ever supposed to get some?”

Embarrassed, Carth moved out of the way. “Sorry.”

“Hmmph. Look, we all have our brushes with the dark side. He came back. That’s more than a lot of people can say.”

“I moved out of the way in order to not talk about my son.”

“An old man is entitled to say what he wants. And at this moment, I want to tell you to stop worrying. He’ll be there at the end of the war. What’s important now is making sure we will.” Jolee left, cup of caf in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I lied a little. Revan's fake name started with a K, and this fic is not compatible with playthroughs where you decide Juhani is boring and kill her. So sue me, it's hard to make a fic that works for everything.
> 
> The moral of the Jigger Wraith story is supposed to be that just because Jolee and Juhani both sought solitude (aka carried Mandalorian rippers) it doesn't mean that they are comparable. I could've done better, but I wanted to flesh out the flavor text of the Mandalorian rippers in KotOR II.


End file.
